Conditions & Disorders

Heart Disease Facts

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in four Americans dies from heart disease. Saint Francis Medical Center’s Heart Hospital in southeast Missouri is dedicated to educating people about the symptoms of heart attack and heart disease. We offer the latest technology to treat a wide range of cardiovascular diseases.

Heart Attack Symptoms

Approximately 935,000 Americans have a heart attack each year. Heart attacks are the result of the sudden death of a portion of the heart muscle caused by a sudden decrease in blood supply to that area. Heart attack symptoms can vary between men and women. In general, the symptoms of heart attack can include:

Women’s Heart Attack Symptoms:

Chest pain/pressure

Weakness

Neck, jaw and/or shoulder pain

Pressure or pain in lower chest, upper back or upper abdomen

Shortness of breath

Nausea

Dizziness

Lightheadedness

Fainting

Sweating

Extreme fatigue

Men’s Heart Attack Symptoms:

Left arm, back, jaw and/or neck pain

Chest pain

Abdominal discomfort that may feel like indigestion

Shortness of breath

Cold sweat

Nausea

Dizziness

Lightheadedness

Heart Failure

Around 5.7 million Americans live with heart failure, which occurs when the heart can’t pump enough blood and oxygen to support the body’s organs. Symptoms of heart failure include:

Shortness of breath from walking stairs or simple activities

Trouble breathing when resting or lying down

Waking up breathless at night

Tiring easily

Swelling of feet, ankles or legs

Coughing that produces pink or blood-tinged sputum

Arrhythmias

Unlike heart attacks and heart failure, arrhythmias may not produce any symptoms. Arrhythmia is an abnormal rhythm or rate of the heartbeat caused by disturbances in the movement of electrical impulses through the heart. The Arrhythmia Center at Saint Francis Medical Center’s Heart Hospital is the first hospital in southeast Missouri to use the Philips EP navigator to diagnose these disorders.

Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease is any heart condition you are born with. Unlike heart attacks or heart failure, which may remain hidden until symptoms appear later in life, congenital heart disease is usually diagnosed at birth. Approximately 1 million Americans live with congenital heart disease.

Other Heart Disorders

Saint Francis Medical Center’s Heart Hospital treats and diagnoses a wide range of heart diseases based on various symptoms, including the following: